Staatsministerium announces first official visits as part of diplomatic and trade driveApril 4407

The Staatsministerium has announced the first in a range of official visits to be conducted by officials of the Crownlander government in order to re-establish and strengthen diplomatic relations with the rest of the world. A vital aim of these visits is to promote the newly open markets of Hulstria and Gao-Soto to foreign investors: for this reason, each diplomatic delegation has an extensive trade delegation in tow.

Staatsminister Heumayr said he and his team were looking forward to showcasing Hulstrian and Gao-Showan ambition around the world: "We are absolutely rearing to go and present the Crownlands to the world, make new friends and strengthen our bonds with old ones. There's a lot of goodwill out there and we shall absolutely seek to reclaim our role on the international stage as advocates for peace, democracy, toleration and international trade." Further visits will be announced as plans are finalised.

Foreign Minister Hupold, Graf Michels, said he wanted to be sure the Indralans were ready to receive the Crownlander delegation

Kien, Hulstria - The Foreign Ministry has announced that the upcoming visit to Indrala by a high-level Crownlander delegation consisting of the Staatsminister, his deputy and the Finance Minister is to be deferred until after a new government is sworn in. The visit, which was being planned in cooperation with the Imperial Court and bureaucrats in Indrala, "cannot go ahead until we're sure who we are talking to." Nevertheless, Graf Michels insisted on behalf of the government that the visit would go ahead if at all possible.

It is believed that the government considers its visit to Indrala to be of great strategic importance given the historic rivalry between the Crownlands and Indrala. With Hulstria and Gao-Soto looking to reclaim a leading role in North Dovani, analysts believe that the Crownlander Government is anxious not to repeat the tensions that grew between Indrala and the Crownlands during the historical Mandate of Heaven controversy, when the rivalry reached its high point and diplomatic tensions between the two were high. With the governing situation in Indrala unclear, it is believed the government does not want to risk that anything that is agreed with the Indralans will be shelved by a new government. In addition, sources close to the Staatsminister say they have high hopes for the involvement of the Lotus Party, with which Hulstria and Gao-Soto's ruling HDV maintains a warm relationship.

Though the Imperial Household Agency refused to comment, it is also thought that Emperor Yoshinaga of Gao-Soto will be disappointed at the delay. It has been thought that he was looking forward to using the opportunity to invite an official state visit of the Indralan Emperor to Hulstria and Gao-Soto in order to strengthen ties between the two Gao-Showan Empires. Business leaders who were supposed to accompany the delegation are said to wait patiently for Indrala's government situation to be resolved.

Skalm, Dreton, Kazulia - The high-level Hulstrian government delegation has arrived in Skalm for their visit to Kazulia, the first on an introductory tour visiting both new friends and old allies around Terra. The fact that Kazulia was one of the first visits by the new Crownlander Government is symbolic: relations between Kazulia and the Crownlands have generally been warm since the Kazulian government's aid to overthrow the Nimitz regime a century ago, and the two cooperate extensively within the Northern Council. Now Kien is ramping up its foreign and economic ambitions, everyone expected that its Northern neighbour and ally would be first on the list.

A last-minute shift in the composition of the delegation saw the replacement of Defence Minister Meinhardt with Finance Minister Goddestreu, causing speculation that the two governments are preparing some sort of joint economic agenda. The Bürggraf Goddestreu was cagey when pressed about it: "Who knows? I might just be visiting my relatives north of the border," he said, referencing the fact that a branch of the Goddestreus moved to Kazulia after the fall of the First United Imperial Crownlands. When asked the question himself, Heumayr was candid that the two nations shared economic interests: "Of course it goes without saying that we'll be speaking about the economy. A strong Hulstria and Gao-Soto is in the interests of our northern neighbours, not to mention the potential for cross-border trade."

In keeping with the economic agenda, a large delegation of businessmen from the Crownlands have made the journey by train to Kazulmark alongside the government officials, hoping to secure lucrative investment and business contacts in the stronger economy to the north. They hope to secure partnerships with Kazulian businesses in many fields in order to aid the economic development of the Crownlands, with the support of the government. To back up the Tourist sector, the Crownlander Tourist Board is also sending a roving presentation to promote visits to Hulstria and Gao-Soto as part of the "visit Hulstria and Gao-Soto" campaign.

The itinerary for the trip consists of meetings between various government officials, followed by a visit to the Crownlander expat community in Southern Kazulia on the way back. Among others, it is thought that Foreign Minister Hupold Michels will offer his help in easing tensions with neighbouring Dankuk, which is an enemy of Kazulia's but is friendly with the Crownlands, in a bid to revive Hulstria and Gao-Soto's peacebuilding role in North Dovani.

Kien, Hulstria - the Foreign Ministry has confirmed that it has accepted an invitation to add Luthori to the schedule of its diplomatic tour, and given provision information on who is to visit the former colonial overlord and fellow Rothingren-ruled nation. In tribute to the dynastic links between the two countries, the Governor-General, Lothar von Geraniengau zu Hortensiengau, will accompany the delegation to meet with his Luthori counterpart, who represents the Holy Luthori Emperor who is resident in Hutori nowadays. It is thought that he will be carrying a personal missive from Kaiser Otto IV urging a meeting between the Eastern and Western Heads of the Rothingren line in order to strengthen relations. Given the Governor-General's apolitical role, the substantive part of the visit will be taken care of by Hupold Michels, the Foreign Minister, and Cornelia Böhme, the Trade Minister.

The chief source of the historically warm ties between Hulstria and its former colonial overlords stems not from this colonial past but from the longstanding dynastic ties between the two nations: the Steuart-Carmichaels of Luthori are considered a cadet branch of the House of Rothingre-Traugott-Okatori, which is the ruling house of Hulstria. Since the time of Heinrich I, the monarch who united Luthori, Alduria, Hulstria and Trigunia under his rule, the two nations have cherished their bonds in this so-called "Terran Empire". Though the senior branch of the Rothingrens is only recently returned to the throne and lacks ambitions on its former possessions, the Steuart-Carmichaels have with the Imperial Commonwealth brought the former Terran Empire close to its foreign glory. It is thought that Hupold Michels will seek to emphasise this by forging a lasting alliance or association between the Commonwealth and the Crownlands.

Taeyangsudo, Myeoggi, Dankuk - A diplomatic delegation consisting of Crownlander Foreign Minister Hupold Michels and Trade Minister Cornelia Böhme has arrived in Dankuk as part of the Crownlander government's tour to strengthen ties in the region. Dankuk, another ally of the Crownlands during the Civil War on the Nimitz Regime, is the pariah in North Dovani nowadays as its rivalry with neighbouring Kazulia continues unabated. It is thought that Michels will be delivering an offer of assistance and intermediation between Taeyangsudo and Skalm in preparation for a summit hosted by Hawu Mumenhes to resolve the tensions. Graf Michels himself was cryptic: "We're of course concerned by the tensions, but that means I really can't say anything."

As a party that is relatively friendly with almost every Dovani regime, the Crownlands are hoping to play an important role as an intermediary for peace and cooperation in the region. For this reason, the Trade Ministry confirmed that the delegation would be carrying an invitation to the new Dovani Economic Forum, a summit meeting for the economy of Dovani held in the resort town of St. Anton in the Budenlarer Schnee-Berge which was last held during the first United Imperial Crownlands era. It is hoped that this summit will allow Hulstria and Gao-Soto, which is strategically placed at the centre of the region, to strengthen the economic interdependence in the region and forge lasting links.

Like in neighbouring Kazulia, a trade delegation consisting of businessmen accompanied the diplomats, hoping to secure lucrative trade deals and investment from Dankuk in aiding the revival of the Crownlander Economy.

Heavyweight delegation arrives in Indrala for symbolic official visitJanuary 4408

Vize-Staatsminister Karolu Mori, the ranking Kunihito member of the Heumayr Ministry

Tian'an, Han, Indrala - Following the successful investiture of a new Cabinet in Indrala, the Crownlander delegation to Indrala has finally been able to depart for the Shining Rock. The high-ranking delegation consists of Staatsminister Heumayr and Finance Minister Goddestreu, with ranking Kunihito minister Karolu Mori, the Vize-Staatsminister and Minister for Internal Affairs, accompanying them to represent the Gao-Showa population of the Crownlands to one of the most populous Gao-Showa nations. The visit is highly symbolic and takes place upon the 800th anniversary year of the Treaty of Phoenix and Dragon, which ended a lengthy period of tensions between the First United Imperial Crownlands and Indrala.

The government is thought to want to prevent a new conflict of the same variety as the Mandate of Heaven Controversy that the Phoenix and Dragon Treaty ended, now that the Crownlands are taking a more assertive role in the affairs of North Dovani once more. The two nations have often been at odds over the heritage of the Medieval Empire of Gao-Soto, which Indrala claims originated on its shores and continued there while the Crownlands also claims its heritage. Previous Indralan governments have considered the Kunihito of Gao-Soto to have been unduly influenced by the Artanian settlers from Luthori and Dundorf that became the Hulstrians, while Crownlander governments have often viewed this attitude as somewhat offensive. The Martin Divergence, an account of Gao-Showan history supported among others by Dankuk and Indrala, is still a bone of contention to scholars and politicians in the Crownlands. This might be the reason Mori has been added to the delegation: he is a historian by trade and has a nuanced view of the Divergence. When asked about it by the Crownlander press, Mori said there was much to be said for placing the origins of the Gao-Showa in Indrala but that several of the arguments offered based on that were tainted by a normative political bias against the Kunihito in the Crownlands. The treaty drafted in support of the Divergence contains many of such statements and as such is unpalatable to the Crownlands, said Mori, but he said the Crownlands were willing to agree to a cooperative research programme into medieval Gao-Showan history to shed further light on the development of continental Gao-Showan culture. "We should not argue who is the rightful or original Gao-Showa culture, but rather celebrate and study its diversity with new emphasis," said Mori.

To mark the 800th year of the Phoenix and Dragon Treaty, the Imperial Household Agency announced that Heumayr and Mori would be delivering a personal message from the Gao-Showan Emperor Yoshinaga to the Tianshun Emperor. Details of the itinerary agreed show that the message will be received by Prince Jianhao. The Imperial Household Agency said the message contained the Mikado's wish for further engagement between the two dynasties and good relations between the Crownlands and Indrala, and contained an invitation for a visit to Miyako by the Son of Heaven. Sources on the Indralan side suggest the Son of Heaven might be too old to travel. When confronted with this possibility, Crownlander diplomats confirmed that Yoshinaga, who is by far a younger man, would be willing to visit Indrala later this year.

The visit also revolves around the economic ambitions of the Crownlands. Like with all visits, a large delegation of businessmen, particularly from Hilgar and Mitrania, have accompanied the delegation. In addition with meeting with the responsible officials, it is thought the Ministers will also meet with the leaders of various important corporations to secure investment. Chief on the itinerary is a visit to Tenkoun of Indrala, the largest branch of the originally Syakusen-based console gaming company whose portfolio includes Super José, to discuss the return of the company's headquarters to the Crownlands. A spokesperson for Tenkoun emphasised that the company had not forgotten its heritage and was actively considering whether the circumstances in the Crownlands justified a return. In addition to this promotion programme, an invitation will also be issued to Indrala, as a player in the Dovani economy, to attend the upcoming Dovani Economic Forum.

The delegation is set to stay in Indrala for a week, leaving again in early February.